Documentary examines work of Community Development Corporation, Providence College in revitalizing the neighborhood

PROVIDENCE — An independent documentary film project by a student in the master’s business program at Providence College looks at the work of a community development agency in reclaiming foreclosed houses in Smith Hill for reuse as affordable housing.

J. Henry Smith, the son of Francis Smith, executive director of the Smith Hill Community Development Corporation, said his film, “Restoring Smith Hill,” will debut on Rhode Island PBS on Sunday, May 5, at 6 p.m.

People involved in the project will gather for a celebration that day to watch the film at the Smith Hill CDC office. Smith said that Providence College President Father Brian Shanley will be in attendance. Local politicians who were interviewed in the film, including Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, have been invited.

“This event will not only celebrate the film, but it will also celebrate the commitment that Providence College is making in partnering with the Smith Hill CDC,” Smith wrote. “It will also give PC and the Smith Hill CDC an opportunity to showcase their latest achievement: The Common Grounds Cafe.”

The cafe is run through this partnership and employs both community members and PC students, “serving as a community hub that will catalyze student involvement in the community,” he added.

Smith said as an undergraduate, he made a short, five-minute documentary on Smith Hill for a film class, but he later decided to expand upon his original work.

Through interviews with tenants, professors and politicians, “Restoring Smith Hill” explores the need for affordable housing and the importance of saving and restoring the historic multifamily houses that are part of the fabric of the Smith Hill community.

“The film really illustrates through interviews with current tenants, just how hard it can be for people to find a safe place to live that is also affordable,” Smith wrote.

Also interviewed in the film is a Providence College professor of sociology, Eric L. Hirsch, who explains why providing affordable housing makes economic sense. Last year, at a State House rally of affordable housing advocates, Hirsch said that rents are unaffordable for nearly half of the population, and this “is not a case of individual failures. It’s a case of market failures.”